Detroit Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince reacts after scoring in the first quarter in Game 7 of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers, at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich., Sunday, May 21, 2006. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Now that the Pistons are officially eliminated from the playoffs, it's time to think about the future.

The Pistons have an important offseason approaching. An offseason that will likely determine if Detroit will be begin to turn things around or continue its downward descent.

Detroit is currently in no-man's land. The gray area between the contenders and the worse of the worst.

The Pistons are not good enough to make the playoffs and not bad enough to earn a top three pick (unless they get lucky in the draft).

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Detroit has six players who will be free agents this offseason. Rodney Stuckey, Jonas Jerebko and DaJuan Summers will be restricted free agents, while Tayshaun Prince, Chris Wilcox and Tracy McGrady will be unrestricted free agents.

What Detroit does with these free agents will help determine what direction the team is going in.

The unrestricted guys seem like easy decisions: let them walk unless the price is right. Prince, Wilcox and McGrady have plenty of good basketball left, but it's probably better for both parties if they are not involved in a rebuilding process.

The restricted guys are where the hard decisions begin.

Summers has struggled to find any playing time so it's doubtful the Pistons re-sign him.

It's clear Detroit would like to have both Stuckey and Jerebko back, but at what cost?

The market for Stuckey was most likely set by the deal Memphis gave Mike Conley, which is five years, $40 million.

Conley and Stuckey were both selected in the 2007 NBA Draft. Conley No. 4 overall and Stuckey No. 15 overall.

Of all the players in the '07 draft, Conley is the most comparable to Stuckey. Conley has career averages of 11.7 points, 5.2 assists, 2.9 rebounds and shoots 44.2 percent (38.2 percent on 3-pointers) compared to Stuckey's 13.4 points, 4.4 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 42.0 percent shooting (28.7 percent on 3-pointers).

Conley is considered a true point guard, while Stuckey is considered a combo guard. Conley is a better passer and outside shooter, while Stuckey is a better scorer and defender.

The two are comparable players and Conley got a deal worth $8 million per season.

Is Stuckey worth $8 million a season? Is it possible he would want more? Would a team sign him to a deal for more forcing a situation where Detroit would have to ponder matching it?

I don't have the answers to those questions, but the decision will help determine Detroit's fate for years to come.

It's possible Stuckey could sign Detroit's qualifying offer of nearly $3.9 million this offseason and become an unrestricted free agent in 2012. But it's doubtful Stuckey will want to risk getting hurt and leave all that money on the table.

Stuckey has come off the bench in nine of Detroit's last 11 games. He's played well at times (24 points, nine assists and seven rebounds against Indiana Wednesday) and he's been invisible at times (two points, three assists and one rebound against Chicago Saturday).

I've maintained Stuckey's perfect role on a contending team would be as a sixth man. Stuckey could come in and do what he does best: score and defend.

But do you a pay a guy in that role $8 million-plus a year? Two of the NBA's top sixth men, the Hawks' Jamal Crawford and the Mavericks' Jason Terry, both make more than $10 million a season. But they were not viewed as sixth men when they signed those deals.

Does Stuckey want to be a sixth man? Does he want to be a starting point guard or a starting shooting guard? Stuckey's hard to read when it comes to that, but he seems unhappy this season and unhappy losing.

Stuckey has not seen eye-to-eye with coach John Kuester, who will likely be gone in the offseason. But Kuester being gone won't be a magic fix like some players might believe.

The decision of what to do with Stuckey will be a difficult one, a decision I'm happy I don't have to make.

The Jerebko dilemma should be easier for the Pistons.

Jerebko was named to the all-rookie second team last season and averaged 9.3 points and 6.0 rebounds in 80 games. An Achilles injury has sidelined Jerebko all season, but he's on his way to a full recovery.

Jerebko made just $762,195 this season so injury or not, he's due for a raise.

What Jerebko will command is more of a mystery. Could he want as much as $5 million like Jason Maxiell or will he take less?

My gut tells me he will take less. The Pistons want Jerebko back and Jerebko wants to be back so the two will work out a deal.

Jerebko will be part of Detroit's future. Will Stuckey? Will Prince? Will Wilcox? Will McGrady? Those decisions remain to be seen.

Dave Pemberton covers the Pistons for The Oakland Press. E-mail him at dave.pemberton@oakpress.com and follow him on Twitter @drpemberton.